GEORGE NEWS - Electrical expansion to George's eastern areas is on track following the recent completion of the second phase of the installation of an important overhead line ring network.

The construction of the additional 7km-long, 66kV overhead line ring from Ballots Bay substation to Glenwood substation, completed a larger ring network between Protea and Glenwood substations, which in turn is part of a larger project to provide sufficient long-term supply to the rapidly expanding eastern areas.

Municipal Director of Electrotechnical Services, Paul Gerber, said there has been fast growth towards the east of the city in the past decade, including the expanding Garden Route Mall / Eden Meander business zone, Kraaibosch / Groenkloof residential area and electrification of low-cost housing in Thembalethu. 

"The municipality's bulk infrastructure network was not sufficient to accommodate the quick rate in which the area was expanding and required urgent strengthening."

Phase one of the project was completed in July 2015 and included a new 66kV overhead line from the existing Protea 66/11kV substation to the position of a new 66/11kV substation being planned for Thembalethu. 

This was funded by the Department of Energy through the Integrated National Electrification Programme (Inep) grant, but at the time the grant was not enough to complete the ring network all the way to the existing 66kV Glenwood substation. The recent completion of the Ballots Bay-Glenwood line finally closed the ring network between the Protea and Glenwood substations.

Proefplaas substation outside George gives an idea what the 66/11kV substation planned for Thembalethu will look like, once completed.

Gerber said the Protea substation that serviced Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp is supplied via a radial feeder from the Schaapkop 132/66kV substation. This line does not meet the demands for the area and there are currently no other connections to the larger network to help carry the load.

"The recently completed Ballots Bay-Glenwood ring now allows for the last piece in the puzzle, the construction of a substation at Thembalethu. When this is complete, the overall 66kV bulk infrastructure will be connected and will therefore be stronger and better equipped to deal with electricity issues that cannot be properly addressed on the current network," said Gerber.

The construction of a substation in Thembalethu is expected to commence later in the current 2019/20 financial year.

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